Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Robbery of Convenience Store

A man pleaded guilty to armed robbery and possession of criminal tools Friday in Lake County Court of Common Pleas.

Paul Koehler, 24, of Mentor, admitted to robbing  in Mentor-on-the-Lake and using a knife to threaten the convenience store clerk.

Judge Joseph Gibson can punish Koehler with up to nine years in prison when he sentences him Aug. 24.

Police said Koehler brandished a knife at the woman working the register, went behind the counter and stole money and herbal incense, which is sometimes used as a drug, on April 24.

Koehler escaped after the robbery but . He was arrested in a factory in Brookfield Township while wearing nothing but underwear, Mentor-on-the-Lake Police Department John Gielink said.

Koehler told police that he took off his clothes after he fell into a pond.

Police said they found both the stolen herbal incense and a knife in Koehler's possession.

To see video of the guilty plea, check out The News-Herald story on Koehler's hearing.